Vampire: Dark Ages - Scene 4: In the Halls of the Dead

[Sabine]

I cringe from Seska's yelling. I slink away from her. I hide behind Taduz' legs. My tail is tucked under.

[Olaf_Magnusson]

Ignoring Seska as discussion of certain accusations register, as well as their probable target....

"I know you sheep-folk burn those you call witch. And on no more than the word of gossip-mongering fishwives settling scores. Call anyone here" *expansive gesture indicating the entire group...yes, including Gedeminas* "a witch and I shall tear your Loki-touched tongue from out of your head and affix it to the wall with an iron nail."

[Taduz Illyannovich]

Staring at Dunakas still, and reach a hand down to barely stroke the top of Sabine's head reassuringly.

"Lady Seska, to say that we are all, not quite ourselves, would be folly. We don't know what we are capable of, and after what we tried to do to the League's members" and what I saw from you " we are all on a steep learning curve"

Gods and goddesses be calm please.

"Consider the look on Gediminas' face still, we are unsure exactly what we can do, and when the incident took place, Olaf acted how he felt was appropriate. Ged was going to attack your man. You surely felt it in the air, that voice. You mastered yourself, we did, Ged did not."

"Not knowing" glancing at Seska out of the corner of my eye "what was being done to him after he was felled by the chair, Olaf subdued him."

Back to staring at Dunakas

"Considering we now seem to be, more duarable, there has been no permanent injury, and we seem to mend unconscionably fast."

"At worst, Olaf was overzealous in trying to protect your man. That he was defenseless, how could he have known, that berserk look on his face, if he had collapsed as a normal person would have, it would have been over. Hesitation may have cost you Bojan. Even still, frozen as he is, he still bears that look of raw rage on his face."

Change of pace.

"Olaf has said his own family, village, his people were razed, destroyed by people from the south. He is the last one."

"My own family was raped, beaten, and killed before my eyes, by the people of lands to the east of here the followers of the undead jew."

Be at peace woman, we have enough problems now.

"Murder, rape, and pillage are not the domain alone of barbarians."

What does that make me?

"Humans are cruel when percieved to be attacked, even when prejudiced. Please, Lady Seska, be calm, there are many mysteries we have yet to unravel about our new li, er, existances."

Am I still human?

"We all have something inside we must master, deal with, or we end up like Gedeminas. I hope" glance at Seska again "whatever was done" back to Dunakas "Is not permanent, and whatever rage he has expends itself"

"We can't change what has happened right here and now. We can only repair what needs fixing, learn, and move on."

I almost lost control myself dealing with this porado, poking into things he knows nothing about.

"Mayhap right now, a larger concern should be what Monk Dante is doing to the brothers, after his attempt to extort Bojan regarding your whereabouts in exchange for a communion."

Impulse, instinct, reaction. How much we've changed in the last few weeks.

"And try to think of why a slave to the cross, would try to take slaves of his own, trying to make Bojan break his vows of fealty to you."

My eyes may have wandered during this, but my hand stayed on Sabine's head.

[Alína Nyárí]

Climbing back on to Zoja, the Jewess departs from her familiar and makes her way back towards the inn. Her countenance takes on a delighted smile and she sings a song of thanksgiving to herself as she rejoices at the opportunity her familiar is giving her to prove herself, instead of being abandoned.

"I thank you, Shechinah.
You illumined my face by your covenant.
I seek you,
As sure as the dawn you appear as perfect light.

You, HaShem, spurn the schemes of Belial.
Your wisdom prevails.
Your hearts meditation prevails, established forever."

Overhead she hears the fluttering of wings, and she sees Dara's shape gliding silently above her. May you see with Shechinah's mercy and wisdom, beloved, the healer thinks as she rides on through the night.

[Seska Karantanija]

Still furious despite Taduz' attempt to calm her, Seska turns around and spikes the mug onto the floor at her feet. She storms through the kitchen, leaning over enough to take the bowl she stashed underneath the table earlier without slowing her pace, then leaves through the back door of the inn to where the swine is kept.

[Sabine]

I whine quietly, then follow Seska out the door. I look sheepish, but I don't get too close to her.

[Goatkiller666]

The Red Lamb Inn
---------------------------

Danukas steps back from the many many hostile people in the room. He opens his mouth to respond, but is then cut off by another person having a fit. And again. And again. As Seska departs, he turns to Olaf and Taduz with a raised finger. His anger, and outrage, is clear as the finger trembles, and finally he starts with Olaf.

"In my land of Lithuania, we honor Witches, we don't burn them. They teach us all how to honor the spirits, and how not to anger them. Fool. Don't lump me in with these murdering invaders, or my Lord. But just because I honor witches doesn't mean that whoever did this," he waves angrily at Gedeminas, "wasn't one. How else could he be held so? What else EXCEPT witchcraft would do such? Show me such a feat, and I'll recant my statement. I honor Lords and Ladies, but I know that they can descend to depravity just like the rest of us. Just like someone here must have."

He switches to Taduz, "So yes, I would say that between the time my Master spoke to me in the stables just now and when I walked in the room, one of you put this curse on him. I cast no judgement by that, except the judgement of saying that person has attacked my Master. But I would know who, and I would know why, and I would have the curse removed now."

Back to Olaf, "You call me sheep-follower without reason, you call me dog and you call me curr. All for protesting that you have beaten my master when he was defenseless. You demand an apology for speaking the truth of witchcraft here, and yet you do not apologize for what you have done. Think clearly about your righteous fury, Northman. I do not doubt that the powers will see the rightness of my cause were it to come to a contest."

Back to Taduz, "You speak of dreadful curses placed upon you all, of smells driving you to rage, of being more durable… I don't know what that means, but it seems as if you're claiming that as justification for what was done to him. Explain."

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska looks around outside and realizes the inn only has a hut for smoking the meat but no livestock. Figuring they must get it from someone nearby, she begins walking along the dark and quiet streets of the small town.

While looking about she notices Sabine following. She pauses and motions for her to catch up. Rather demurely she says, "I am sorry if I scared you, pup. I am not having an easy time of this." She pets Sabine's head. "Other than us adults yelling, you seem to be having a grand time of things."

Seska thinks for a moment. "How is that nose of yours, hmmm? Can you help me find where the swine are raised?" She shakes the bowl. "I have a little treat for them in return for a nip of blood. Making Pierre well has made me quite hungry." She pets Sabine again and looks at her expectantly.

[Sabine]

I wag my tail. Pets are good.

I bark once, then I squeal like a piggy, loud. [Animalism 2]

I hear other piggies squeal back. I lead Seska to the piggies.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

I sigh condescendingly.

He asked for it.

I look at Olaf, shrug, look at Pierre and the party of the recently departed Lady Seska, shrug again.

I look back at Olaf, smile as if to say "He asked for it"

This ought to be golden to watch.

"The girl turns into a dog and can disappear, the noblewoman does something with her eyes that does things to people, the dane can beat your master, and presumably others, faster than your eye can follow and with more strength than a mortal man should have. I don't know what Frenchman can do yet, and I can mold flesh and turn into a troll."

Incoming in 3...2....

"Oh yes, your harmless master is in a fury right now over a smell, he can see with no eyes, and if you look in his mouth you will see fangs."

"Ask the Lady's party regarding the girl, and the norseman's speed, since the word of a scholar means so little to one such as yourself."

"I spoke nothing of curses child, I said we've changed."

Simpleton, so blind, will he believe?

I drop my voice to a nice threatening tone

"Oh, and watch your finger whelp"

Like the toe, can you do it?

I grasp my left index finger, remove it [Vicissitude 2 and 3 to remove painlessly], wave it at him in a "no no no" gesture, and reattach backwards[Vicissitude 2 and 3 to reattach] .

"Or I will take yours"

Reremove the finger[Vicissitude 2 and 3 to reremove painlessly], turn it around, reattach it [Vicissitude 2 and 3 to reattach] properly now smiling

"and we shall see where yours will fit, grafted to your skin"

Crack the knuckle.

"someplace very uncomfortable."

That part was easier than I thought.

[Goatkiller666]

Danukas' eyes widen, and his face blanches slightly as Taduz plays with his own finger. He spins quickly and checks Gedeminas' mouth to confirm that there are still fangs there. Spinning back, "Did you give these fangs to him? Is that what you do for sport? Sculpt the frozen into monsters?"

[Seska Karantanija]

The Streets of Zombar
---------------------------

Seska seems a surprised, but squeaks with delight at Sabine's ingenuity. "You're a very clever puppy, aren't you!" She starts off with a skip but slows down when the contents of the bowl start sloshing.

Reaching their sty, Seska holds the bowl at the edge of the fence and calls out for their attention, "Here piggies. I have a treat for you!" The smell quickly draws them over where they strain through the fence for the bowl held just out of reach.

She gives Sabine a smile then turns to the swine, where her eyes flash yellow. They seem entranced, although not held perfectly stiff as Gedeminas was earlier. Without lowering her gaze, Seska parts her lips and a long, slender tongue darts into one of their cheeks. After taking a small amount of blood, Seska retracts the tongue.

"Not very appetizing, but better than nothing. Sabine, do you need to feed? Only take a little from each. We should learn the limits of what we can take without hurting our prey." She impales another held by her unblinking gaze and dines upon it as well.

When both have completed their meals, her eyes resume their normal hue and the pigs regain their mobility, though some stumble a bit. She puts the bowl within their reach and lets them partake of their own meal.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

I roll my eyes.

Like dealing with chattel.

"Ask the Lady's table, my word means nothing to you, and you bear a grudge against Olaf."

It is becoming more trouble than it is worth.

"You ignore the other facts in place of the one you want to believe."

I grow weary of it's chatter.

"Be quick. Your accusations are growing tiresome."

[Alína Nyárí]

Drawing nigh the village, Alína spots her lady and the dog shape of Sabine at the pig sty. Lifting her hand in a wave, she calls out to her Lady, "lovely evening, is it not?"

[Goatkiller666]

"Fool! I'm not accusing, I'm asking. Perhaps if you would stop being offended by my concern for my master and think about why I'm concerned, you would do me the courtesy of explaining what has happened. Your list of witches powers was impressive, but it doesn't actually prove anything. Your trick with the finger is... disconcerting... but threats like that probably won't gain you my trust."

"Bah! The one wise thing you've said was to ask Vida and Bojan."

He walks over to their table and sits in the seat where Seska had been, with his back to Taduz and Olaf. He asks them for an explanation, and they try to explain. Their story also makes little sense at first... Vida especially is too choked up on some of the details to make sense of any of it. But Danukas is patient, now that he sees how traumatic it is to them, and eventually the whole story comes out.

He rises and approaches Taduz and Olaf again. "I beg your pardon, sirs. I too would be... testy... had I survived what you had."

[This bit takes a little while, so I'll let Seska / Sabine / Alina catch up before continuing.]

[Sabine]

I don't want cage blood. I want it like from those soldiers. Hot!

Then I look at the lady on the horse. There's something moving in the sky behind her. I run behind her to look closer.

[Protean 4] I fly off after the owl.

[Seska Karantanija]

The Streets of Zombar
---------------------------
She looks up and returns Alina's wave. "No, not..." Her eyes go wide as Sabine transforms into yet another new form and bolts into the sky.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

Drop the voice again.

It doesn't learn, does it.

"I. Am not. A. Witch."

I, we, are much worse.

[Alína Nyárí]

Listening attentively as her Lady starts to answer, at first the healer hears a note of frustration in the unexpected response. Then her own eyes go wide as she watches the dog morph into a hawk and fly after an owl in the sky. An owl...Dara!! Ware the hawk!! she calls out to her familiar mentally.

Realizing what she had done, she shifted her focus from the owl to the hawk, and reaches out again. (Auspex 4) Not that one, please little puppy. She is more than you might suspect. Use that keen sight of yours to hunt out easier prey.

[Sabine]

There's a voice in my head? There's not supposed to be voices in my head!

I turn and fly back to the horse lady. I talk in my head, "How'd you get in here?"

"I wasn't gonna eat the owl. I just wanted to play. She's pretty."

"Not as pretty as me."